Very nice analysis.

I appreciate that you didn't go soft and hand Kwame an A for his second half since the majority of the people on this blog will want to do that, highlighting his Wilt-like numbers of 12 and 8 and 0.6 blocks per game.

I would have to agree about Luke and his timing. "Cookie" wouldn't step out on the pick and roll. At least Luke is willing to jump out and get back to his man.

AK, Luke has some b-ball IQ, which makes it impossible to underestimate him. I love the short/midrange game which no other current Laker has, sans Kobe. The past two years we’ve seen Kobe run his offense or they settle for the 3 point shot. Lamar provides dribble drive skills, however the rest of the Lakers don’t seem willing to take anyone off the dribble or get their own shots. SuperLuke is filling the void of getting the short rebounds from guys like LO, Kwame, Mihm, and actually doing something with them. Not just taking a shot. He can pass in traffic.

With that in mind, I have to upgrade him to a B-. MHO

You guys really need to switch this blog off soon. Take down the link so I stop wasting my time on here. Offseason is where I usually catch up with my work, if you guys keep this up, I'll be following the lakers in July, damn it. I swear I'll sue if I lose my job, seriously I will.

Having said that, great post...lol. One thing that i've been curious about is Bynum. He seems to be regarded highly even though he hasn't seen much playing time. I know the dude is just 18 but wasn't Dwight Howard producing from day 1. Not sure where Bynums 1st half B came from, probably the same place Ronny's second half B- came from. I love Ronny's attitude but there's nothing in the numbers for both of these guys that suggest they merit more than Ds.

AK,

Great job the entire season. I've really enjoyed the blog. Keep up the good work.

Laker Seth

I can understand where you coming from in regards to Sasha... I know I spent most of the season wondering why he tossed up so many bricks - but he did come through with some great shooting in the playoffs.

Taliq,

Dwight Howard is incredible, with amazing amounts of potential and a skill set (and body) that's developed beyond his years. I never put Bynum in the same category as Howard when discussing potential. Howard is an absolutel franchise guy, where Bynum doesn't look like that. I don't think Bynum is one of those "special" players where you know right off the bat how great they are going to be (i.e. Howard, Lebron, KG, Kobe). Those were guys out of high school where you didn't think "project" you thought "superstar given some time". In my mind it's a big difference.

Andrew Z

Yeah, there it is. You know it when you see it. We've been back and forth all year about Kwame and Bynum morphing into "special" but superstars don't become, they are.

It's a struggle for guys to raise their free throw percentage 5 points over a career, becoming great from OK is probably not going to happen. If LO raises his game a couple notches, he's an all star, but he started with "wow 6'10 with ball handling skills, a great first step, long and athletic and can pass".

Systems can change players. They can flourish in one and maybe not the other, but for the most part, the guys you mentioned were no brainer, no questions asked, franchise players even when they weren't. Bynum will get better, and so will the Kwam but the bar for "special" is as high as it gets in this franchise.

Vman,

Yeah, my take is if you've been in the league four or more years and you're still developing, you're probably not going to become a franchise guy. I think Odom could be a perenial All-Star, but at this point can we expect him to reach that 20 and 10 level and stay there? Does anyone actually think Kwame can turn into a 15 and 11 guy? Does he have that inside him? I don't think so. There are some guys that are born with that special quality and those are the guys you build a franchise around. Obviously there aren't that many around, only a handful, which is why I am strongly in favor of giving up everyone not named Kobe for KG (a package Minnesota would laugh at by the way), because KG is one of those guys and you never pass up an opportunity to add one to your team. Period.

Regardless of the expectation of not even making the playoffs, (but they did and was up 3-1)it hurts to watch the Suns even play another game in the playoffs. Overall, despite of the loss, the Lakers (mainly Kobe) amazed me in that series. To be change their game plan to beat the Suns 3 in a row, that was unexpected. It sure got us all excited though.

Lakers: 1st half: C+: learning process.
2nd Half: B+
Playoffs: A-

By the way at 11ppg and costing us $790k next year. Smush seems to be our best player in terms of points per millions earned. Daresay he's the best bargain in the entire league, using this metric. I say we up his grade to a B+...lol.

Also here's another grade for the laker team. Comes out to a 'C'...seems consistent with average of AKs grade.
http://nbadraft.net/2006stateofthecaplalakers001.asp

Taliq

Hello, now there's a stat that should have figured into the report card. How good for the money? Big issue. I'd give him a B+ too, but then I'd bench him for a vet that won't disappear.

I'd downgrade the Kwam to C and maybe LO to B+ considering the salary but the rest didn't do enough or make enough to make a difference.

Strengths: A HUGE physical presence. Andrew is the biggest and strongest high school center to arrive in some time. Bynum is a legit 7 footer with great mobility. Offensively Bynum has a small but solid set of post moves, including a very effective baby hook. He is very good at backing down players into the low post and ending with a slam or short hook…Defensively, Bynum is a load in the paint. Although not a prolific shot blocker, Bynum is adept at altering shots and forcing teams to shoot the outside shot. However, he is yet to face a player his size, so his one on one defense has not been truly tested…With time he should develop into an excellent shot blocker…The thing to remember here is that players with his size and mobility are a rarity.

Weaknesses: Raw is the word. While he has been productive in high school, the NBA is a different world. He will be facing players his size on a regular basis. Offensively, his footwork needs much tooling…he rarely shoots the ball outside of the paint. His size won't allow him to dominate like he did in HS. He could really use a small set jumper or another post move. In addition his passing out of the post is very poor and his understanding of defenses is an area of need...Defensively, he needs to move his feet more and become more active. As a rebounder he needs to learn to get in proper position and not rely on his size and athleticism. Additionally, he must stop picking up silly fouls, especially on the offensive end…Lastly, there have been concerns about his weight and conditioning.

Notes: Bynum is a physical marvel…If he works at his game, he could really become a special player.
this is an articale and if u see the waknesses u will know that the cap talked about them and will solve them.
ps:a couple of us love big baby and i wont rest until most of u will.

that von wafer analysis was just classic stuff. made my day. still laughing at it.

"Bynum is a physical marvel"

That is an exaggeration. (Unless you are comparing him to the general population.) He doesn't have exceptional physical ability for someone at this leval (including college here) of play. He is still somewhat awkward. If he were a physical marvel that would have shown during his brief moments of playing time. Don't let his one good moment (which caught Shaq by surprise) get blown out of proportion. What he has is potential.

purple and gold (feel like i'm addressing the entire laker nation...lol ),

Using a league start date of Oct 1st

Dwight Howard was 18yrs 10months when he came into the league...he averaged 33mins/12pts/10rbds/1.7blks
in his second year (this one) he averaged 37mins/16pts/13rbds/1.4blk

Bynum in his rookie season
17yrs 11months
8mins/2pts/2rpg/0.5blks

Umm, granted Bynum is a year younger than Howard. But now he's got a year of nba experience under his belt. Do we really expect him to produce the same numbers (next season/season after ) as Howard did in his rookie season. Really I've got nothing against Bynum, just wondering where all the optimism is coming from besides practice. Did he play in the summer leagues, did he have a great outing. Give me something people.

My reaction to all this great talk about bynum can be summed up by this quote from nbadraft.net

http://nbadraft.net/profiles/andrewbynum.asp
Notes: Bynum is a physical marvel…If he works at his game, he could really become a special player. However, this same type of talk was also said of DeSagana Diop

This article is for all the Steve's and Jon's out there. It just goes to show how hypocritical people are when it comes to the great Kobe Bryant.

Double Standard Now Standard For Kobe And LeBron
Kobe Bryant, in the second half of Game 7 against the Suns, plays passively and is roundly criticized for either quitting or making a statement or both.

LeBron James, in the second half of Game 7 against the Pistons, has an almost identical performance and the closest anyone comes to asking what happened is my colleague Chris Sheridan, relaying to LeBron that Coach Mike Brown suggested he was tired. Which James quickly and firmly denied.

So. If there was ever a blatant demonstration of the double standard when it comes to judging Kobe vs. LeBron -- or just about anybody else -- this is it.

When Kobe took only three second-half shots vs. the Suns, all the questions were directed at him: Why did he do that? What was said at halftime? What was he trying to prove?

If you don't buy that he needed his teammates to trim Phoenix' lead to single digits before he could take over, fine. If you think after his 23-point first half he should've started firing at every opportunity and that that would've somehow inspired his teammates to play the kind of staunch defense they couldn't muster in the first half while getting touches, OK.

But then you have to ask the same questions of James and the Cavaliers.

After all, he had 21 first-half points while taking only four jumpers (missing three) on 10-of-15 shooting and Detroit led by a mere two points. Sure, James took nine shots in the second half, three times more than Kobe. But he made only one and seven of them were jumpers. Moreover, the Pistons didn't do anything more defensively than have Tayshaun Prince guard him rather than Rip Hamilton, but the only reason Hamilton was on him in the first place is that LeBron had tortured Prince earlier in the series.

Now, granted, Cavs coach Brown did Detroit a huge favor by playing Larry Hughes 26 minutes and putting him in the middle of the floor rather than LeBron during that time. Hughes simply couldn't create the chances for himself or his teammates that LeBron could.

Hughes' stat line didn't look bad, but this is all you need to know: He played in three games in this series, all of them losses, two of them blowouts. Cleveland, conversely, won three of the four games he didn't play, all of them going down to the wire.

Meanwhile, having James attack from the wing also allowed the Pistons to corral him more easily by forcing him to the baseline.

Look, I understand why Kobe is guilty until proven innocent and the judge and jury are making goo-goo eyes at LeBron. Kobe has made his share of publicity blunders while the closest LeBron has come to offending anyone was having a suspicously financed chromed-out Hummer in high school. It can be hard to like Kobe, while LeBron makes it easy. I truly get that.

I'm also not here to denigrate James' effort or performance. There's never been anyone in NBA history who has had his combination of size (6-8, 250) and speed (f-f-f-fast enough to turn the corner on anyone), and he has an amazingly mature game for someone 21 years old.

He made his share of tactical blunders and bad decisions in this series, but that's no surprise; I wouldn't expect him to understand the game the way Kobe or Tim Duncan or Steve Nash do. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time and I can't imagine how amazing he will be once his mental game catches up with his physical talents.

All I'm saying is, that their personalities and Q ratings shouldn't have anything to do with how their performances as NBA players -- nay, superstars -- are judged. And based on how similar their playoff exits were, and how dramatically different they were treated, that's clearly not the case.

AK got it right on McKie. Almost.

F is close but I would definitely downgrade him to F- considering his salary. He's getting mid level? He's the only fringe player that Kupchak mentioned as a keeper?

With all the HOF vets we've got hangin' out, do we really need Aaron to school the kids? If so and if it is mid level, that's 5mil. D Fish gets 6.
A mil luxury tax for Fish is worth every cent. He's not the answer at the point but I'd rather look down the bench and see him than Aaron for the 2nd quarter minutes. All Laker fans in favor of D Fish??? I think it's unanimous.

YOU ALL NEED TO LISTEN TO PURPLE AND GOLD!!!!!!
. you are dead on the money. someone compared bynum to howard, first of all, howard is 21, came in the league as a physical specimen, he still is 6'10, hasn't grown an inch in two years.(he claims he might be a little shorter, cos turkgolu is taller than he is), bynum on the other hand just turned 18, grew an extra inch in less than a year, now 7"1. howard, amare, and lebron are freaks of nature. bynum is your definition of a kid, he is big but not strong. this kid would never be a bust, in 5 years he would be 23yrs. what people don't understand is, once you are a 7 footer, it is hard to be athletic. i'm 6"9, so i know what i'm talking about. the people who talk about him, see him in practice everyday, we don't, so if they say watch out, believe. he is a shot blocker, but not smart enuff yet, as he would accrue fouls from his inexperience. with time, he would be something to reckon with, but i would trade if and only if it would bring in someone to take us to another level, other than that, he is our future. when kobe came in to the league, ofcourse he was captivating, before being drafted he was thought of as a future allstar, not a franchise player(that's why he was traded for divac). give this kid time. look at millicic, he was drafted high, they regarded him a bust in detroit, now he is hot again, and everyone is inquiring about him, and orlando say he is untouchable. only time would tell, we can only assume.

thanks for the props emman.
talik one thing muist be understood,bynum like kobe came in a team where he was another rookie ,AI the king jordan howard shaq all came as the franchise player when they were rookies.the stats will differ and howard was here last year and now he is 21 so how could he have been 18.plus in his first season kobe had a vary bad average they develop .whith his size and hands bynum at worst is good shot blocker(now he is a good shot blocker)
and at best well whith his size the sky is the limit.and anoher thing about the diop thing well diop wasnt tutored bu Cap didnt have the work ethic and wasnt around players like kobe or coache PJ.

Very good grades AK. Very reliable and realistic. To be expected from a person such as you. Keep up the good work. Though maybe Kobe could have at least gotten that "+"?

emman

True. Bynum is a kid. He's also one of the few tradeable assets on the team. Keeping him for the future is a luxury. Kobe's not growing, he's peaking. The rub is in weighing Bynum's upside against Kobe's legs.

It's fun to talk now, but Mitch will do what Mitch said, nothing. Bynum will get a chance to show next year. If he doesn't show well, he may not be valueable trade bait either. He sure will make summer league more interesting.

The Kwam is our Miliicic. If he can earn his lunch money, Baby B will be safe to earn while he learns from the best.

purple and gold,

On another note, I think the Lakers should have picked a more developed player who could have helped right away. Danny Granger comes to mind. Who knows, another athletic swingman on this team and we could be talking about game 7 of the Battle of LA.

I like Bynum, I should make that clear. i think he has great potential, but I don't think he'll ever be a guy we build this team around. he could be an important piece, no doubt, but that's five or six years down the road. That being said, if he could get us a player who could impact our immediate success, I'd pull the trigger on a deal right away. I think these playoffs have shown how wide open this league is right now and one player and a couple bounces can mean a lot.

Lamar Odom is over 6'9" and very athletic.

Congratulations Jon.

Since you never shut up about how LeBron is great (which he is, no doubt) here in Lakerland, which is Kobe country, just as Miami is D-Wade's crib or how Houston is the land of the Vince Young. Now your name is LeJon James. Get used to it LeJon.

Oh, you hate Kobe? Fine then. Just hate everything here in your home. Hate Reggie Bush. Hate Matt Leinhart. I bet you do hate them in your heart. Lemme also say you love Paris Hilton the whore. Fine by me. You many not have post it here but I do know that you really do. And one last thing LeJon, Kobe here right now is Reggie Bush and LeBron is Vince Young. While I like Vince's all around game and body size, which is just like LeBron is the NBA, I'd rather have the electrifying Reggie Bush, which is Kobe YES Kobe, anyday.

So will the real LeJon James Please Shut UP!? Please Shut Up?! Please Shut up?!
-The Album of The Real Slim Shady.

Most of the laker players would be cut in training camp and should have been. Andrew bynum he is going to be a special player in this league if he had gone to the ncaa this year the lakers would not have gotten this steal. His season highlight was dunking on shaq. Igive him a C because of the a amount ofd action. yes he played well in the minutes but he did not play enough to show me that he had a great rookie year. Look for bynum to back up brown next season and for mihm to back up odom in the power forward position. Andrew needs to work with kobe, kareen, and phil this summer.

andrew Z!!!!!!!!!!!!1
YOU ARE VERY FUNNY, why don't you list from this season alone? what i said is compare with being 6"6, i never said there were no 6"9 athletes,it is hard to be an athlete at 6"9, let alone 7 feet,magic is not your definition of an athlete, he may be highly skilled as a basketball player, but he doesn't run and jump in a way that makes you go, wow! do not confuse being mobile with being athletic. also a 7 footer that is very mobile may be regarded as athletic(b'cos most 7 footer can't move, period), but that doesn't apply to someone that is 6"9, speed and jumping abilities come into play for the latter. for every mobile 7 footer you name, i'll name 5 6"6 athletes,may be even more. just think about what i've said before you argue argue again.

Purple and gold,
"i copy pasted the articale to proove a point its an experts opinion not just mine so ask him to give u a break wise boy."

LOL!!
FIrst of all, if you quote someone it's customary to indicate who you are quoting.
Second, your above line sounds like you don't feel comfortable defending the opinion.

Taliq,

I only gave Bynum a B for the first half of the season, when he actually got some minutes. The second half, he got a D+/Inc., since he barely played. It rounded out to a C/Inc. overall. Just to clarify.

And as far as what Mitch and Kareem said, I'm not naive enough to think that they'd publicly trash their highest draft pick in 10 or so years. But I also have heard stuff off the record, too. And people have told me stuff they've heard off the record as well. Plus, I've watched Bynum in practice, shoot around, etc. That all comes into play.

AK

lakofan,

Is there a podcast of that interview. Also just to play devil's advocate. Isn't it a little strange that Luke is just hearing about this now. What he went hiking in some remote corner of the world soon as the game was over. And what about kobe's remaining teammates, they sure as hell weren't falling over themselves to go meet the press and adamantly express their support for kobe publically. Jordan may have been hard on his teammates but he was also a very social person, so yeah u'd hear it from him in practice but then you could roll with him into the most exclusive spots/parties. Another clear distinction between Kobe n Jordan, and that's not a knock against kobe, rather it's just another example of how unique his situation is and how he's going to have to do this his own way.

AK/BK,

Seriously I'm addicted to the lakers blog. You're becoming like big tobacco, i want to quit but i can't. And it could be seriously detrimental to my health. If I was my boss and I knew how I'd spent my whole day today. I'd fire me immediately. That's a scary thought. Yikes i need help. I hate that i love this blog.

exhel and andrew z,
i didn't come up with the term , physical marvel. but if you must know, let us break it down. andrew z said something about potential, that has nothing to do with a physical marvel, it is strictly, you get what you see. which is, at 7"1 and about 280lbs he can marvel you with his size and mobility, it has nothing to do with his basket ball skills.(that is why they say "physical", he is not a basketball marvel yet, but he is already a physical marvel). tell me if that was your brother or son, 18 yrsold, he would not amaze you just looking at him?

why is everybody mentioning all the 6"9 athletes to me, like i said there was none.

TaliQ,
you don't have to brag about bynum, all we are saying is wait, nothing else. nobody called him a superstar, so don't call him a bust.

Andrew Z,

you may be right about him being a big z rather than a shaq, but how do we know? if he was 25yrs, we could have an easier estimate. but this kid hasn't even played yet. he is not used to posting up big players, he even admitted to posting up 6"5 centers in high school, now he would have to change is shots to avoid being blocked, is whole game would have to change too, in high school they played with him as the main option, but now he is just a minor piece, and learning. lakers knew that before he was drafted, that's why pj wasn't so thrilled with that pick (the project). i'm not calling the kid a star yet, but don't write him off just yet.

Jon K.,

This is pure hypothesis, since I haven't heard anything even remotely concrete. But anyway...

I'd say Devean George is likely gone, unless he's willing to make about half of his last contract. Jim Jackson? Gone. Devin Green? I'll give him 40% odds to come back, depending on what FA guards are out there. Von Wafer? I honestly have no idea, but I wouldn't bet the farm on him in uni next season. And it wouldn't shock me if they did some kind of buy out with McKie.

Need I really break down the chances of Slava's return?

On the flip side, unless he doesn't heal up well, I'd actually be fairly surprised if Laron Profit isn't back. He practically lives at Staples Center, did a nice job before getting hurt, fills a specific need, and from everything I've seen and heard, they like him. He sure seems to like Lakerland, too. Plus, he couldn't possibly cost much.

Hope that helps.

AK

emman,

I by no means wrote Bynum off, I think he has a very bright future. My thing is, that future is a few years off, and my opinion, which is usually worth very little, is that he won't be a franchise-type big man. I could be wrong, the kid has shown some promising attributes, he just doesn't have that certain something special, again, in my opinion.

Of course, I will be the first on the Andrew Bynum bandwagon when he proves me wrong.

Thanks for not referring to me as a dumbass, idiot, or other such terms for expressing my opinion. It's been civil and fun.

emman,

I would love to see the kid get more minutes next year. If he doesn't, and neither Mihm or Kwame are traded in the off-season (speculative), I would hope they would send him to the D-League. I don't think it does any good to have him riding the bench, he needs game experience, and even in the D-League the competition is a hell of a lot better than high school.

If Bynum ends up playing and getting 10 and 6 next year Mitch Kupchak will look like a genius.

Vman,

He may have mentioned it and I'm sure McKie is a good presence. But if the situation were presented where they could find another vet who could actually contribute more, I could see them thinking buy out.

AK

Prof. AK ! Look at Wafer's grade! My dad's gonna kill me!

Faith:

I agree 100% with your point that performance during our run late in the regular season and in the playoffs against the Suns should receive far greater weight than performance during the first half of the season.

AK:

What I am more interested in is not an actual grade for past performance but a projected grade for next year based on progress displayed during the latter part of the season and the playoffs. With that in mind, here are my optimistically (I am a Lakers fan) projected grades for the Laker players that will be in the rotation and the team for next year, assuming no major trades:

1. KOBE BRYANT (Starting Shooting Guard): A+

I think Kobe will take what he learned in the playoffs and really blossom as the team leader. His scoring average will drop but his assists and boards will increase. I also think he will take the lead in making the team better defensively and will really earn his 1st team defense selection. His leadership and resulting enhanced image will finally be recognized by almost everyone. 25/8/6 and his first MVP will show that Kobe finally “gets” it.

2. LAMAR ODOM (Starting Small Forward/Power Forward) A-

With a full year working with Kobe and in the triangle, Lamar will have his best year yet and will put to rest any thoughts of trading him. He will almost average a triple double and will add a mid-range jumper and drives to the hoop with his right hand. He will also demonstrate a much higher basketball IQ and defensive team smarts. 20/10/6 and Co-Team MVP and 3rd team all NBA.

3. KWAME BROWN (Starting Power Forward/Center): B+

I think Kwame will continue to grow more comfortable and develop the increased personal confidence and consistent focus we all are hoping for. I also think Phil will find a way to keep Kwame and Chris on the floor together, whenever possible. I also think Kwame will dramatically improve his short range jump shot and his free-throws. His 1-on-1 low post defense will be the anchor for a greatly improved interior TEAM defense. I also think that the legal case against him will be dismissed. 15/10 and some votes as Most Improved Player.

4. CHRIS MIHM (Starting Center/Power Forward) B+

I think Chris will continue to improve his offense and will become the #3 scorer behind Kobe and Lamar. He will extend his range as a jump shooter and will dominate offensively against many teams. His help defense will become a major component of our improved team defense and he will continue to improve his man defense and reduce his proclivity to get dumb fouls. 15/10 and some votes as Most Improved Player.

5. ANYONE BUT SMUSH (Starting Point Guard): B

This is the big unknown for us. We need a defensive oriented point guard that has quickness and length to bother the other Western Conference point guards defensively and the ability to punish them offensively. Someone like Andre Iguodala of the 76ers. Maybe Devin Greene? Maybe Laron Profit? DEFENSE. DEFENSE. DEFENSE.

6. LUKE WALTON (Backup Small Forward) B+

Luke will continue to improve his shooting and defense and will be a major contributor off the bench giving us another great passer and smart player. He may not have his Dad’s physical skills but he definitely inherited his Dad’s basketball IQ.

7.ANDREW BYNUM (Backup Center): B+

I think Andrew will make major strides and become a regular and contributing part of our frontcourt rotation. He will be a good low post option on offense and a good help shot blocker on defense. He will probably still struggle with foul problems but will clearly show that he has super star potential to become a great center.

8. RONNY TURIAFF (Backup Power Forward): B-

Ronny will also emerge as a force off the bench, adding energy and rebounding at both ends of the court as well as shot blocking and help defense.

9. SASHA VUJACIC (Backup Point Guard): B-

I think Sasha will continue to contribute and will become our best 3-point shooter and pesky defender, especially if he gets help from our frontcourt defense.

10. BRIAN COOK (2nd Backup Power Forward): C+

I think Brian will continue to be our designated 3-point shooter against anyone and will show modest improvement in taking the ball to the hoop on offense and drawing charging fouls on defense.

THE TEAM: A-

50 Wins and #5 seed and Western Conference Finals. Improved defense with reduced points allowed and shooting percentage allowed. Phil Jackson will be among top vote getters for Cach of the Year for taking the Lakers to the NBA Final Four and bringing the next dynasty into view.

Andrew Z,

Yeah, I'd pull the plug there if the spot could be filled with a more productive player. Although, if he's making mid level and they insist on staying away from any luxury tax, it might be better to keep him 'cause he at least knows the system.

As I've said, next year I'd consisder a minimal luxury tax with all the money coming off the following year. Anything to move up the timetable in a league that looks ripe for the picking.

Greek Dude,

Again, this what I'm talking about when I say this gets overstated and overrated. Sasha annoyed AI and Nash on a few possessions. That's it. He didn't guard these guys for starter's minutes. When he starts doing that, or even coming close, I'll retract my statements. Or when he actually shoots 40% on a season, whichever comes first.

AK

Who should we spend our FA money on this year?

Mike James? Monta Ellis? Marcus Banks?

Phil Jackson gets a C+. He needs to stop playing his stupid zenmaster head games and teach these guys how to play basketball. Why do teams like the Spurs and Mavericks look so much crisper than the Lakers? Because they have coaches who drill it into their players' heads without pretense that they have to execute on both ends of the court and not give them stupid books to read or show them stupid movie clips. If we can't get some good players we need to develop Bynum so why isn't Kareem on the Lakers bench? When Yao came into the league, there wasn't a day that Patrick Ewing wasn't by his side, whispering into his ear. Phil needs to get with the new era of basketball. Why are we still playing the stupid triangle when we have only 1 guy (Kobe) who can really score in it?

AK,

most of your pick of who is gone such as George and Wafer, i agree with. Especially with Wafer since he shouldn't have been drafted at all when he came out of his sophomore season without really being a star in NCAA. As for Profit, I'd like for him to come back since he filled in very nicely for Kobe and when Profit went down, we had small forwards practically playing the role of shooting guards which some can't simply do. In my opinion, McKie should be bought out and we should sign Kareem Rush, a very good outside threat. We only have very few people who could make jumpers consistently and since Rush knows the system he could play some significant minutes. I don't really know whats going to happen but I would like those two to come the Lakers next season, both are good backups.

For big men we have Kwame, Mihm, and Bynum. If Kwame can have a consistent and great jumper like LO's I would like for him to go back to the 4 so him and Mihm can provide better defense in the lane. If not well Kwame has some more time to learn a jumper while playing the 5. He will need to learn to play the 4 sooner or later cause Bynum will certainly be ready if not next (not this) season then the season after.

the sasha grading is kinda harsh. he didn't play too bad in 2nd half, i'd give him a C+. he's been improving his shot and driving to the basket.

Sorry to bring back the Bynum thing back but i had to put in my opinion. Bynum is still an undetermined factor in the Laker organization. He has neither failed or been sucessful. He is no Kwame Brown(either good or bad). I think that he will be better than Kwame but u cant compare a guy that plays 5mins to a guy that plays 30mins a game. So the whole Howard thing was a bit too much. If u want to compare you first start with minutes. Everyone was going off on how Lebron James did so much better in his rookie year than Kobe but you must remember taht at the time Kobe came in the Lakers, they were going into the post-season while the cavs didnt have anything to lose because it couldnt get any worse for them. If Bynum does play more minutes next year then we can compare him to his fellow pf/c and other old and new 2nd year players but til then let the guy get in some good minutes before u compare him to guys that are playing 30+mins.

I really cant wait till next season honestly.

I am very intrigued on seeing what kind of backcourt help we get. Do we believe McKie will be healthy this year? Do we keep Jimmy Jackson? Do Sasha/Smush become solid bench contributors rather than questionable starters? If Bobby Jackson or Jason Terry is the answer then we are good here.

Also, what's up with our big men situation. Its crazy, but we have a plethora bodies at our disposal (never woulda thought this when Shaq left). Turiaf, Mihm, Bynum, Odom, and Kwame. Who's going to emerge as the horse out of this combo? We know Mihm & Kwame can give us 12 & 8 but can any give us 16 & 10? I think we will end up keeping all of them this year and next year 1 will be gone. The popular choice now is Mihm but not so fast. Kwame could be gone if he cant get to 16 & 10. I cant see Bynum going anywhere unless we get KG in a packaged deal. Turiaf would be ripe for a package deal if he plays hard all next year. I predict Bynum showing that he is capable of big minutes the year after next by giving us a couple of 20pts games, a couple of 10 reb. games, and a couple of 5 block games this next year. I'm skeptical of Kwame. I dont think you learn hands. The most disconcerting effort was the colossal flop he had in game 7. If he doesnt come up big in clutch moments this next year then he is goooonnne! I wish we could've seen Mihm in the playoffs. It's hard to judge him because of that.

Odom is here to stay. He showed that he has the capacity to get better through a season. He & Kobe work well together and Lamar has the confidence to take the big shot. Odom is what makes me optimistic.

I think we will 50 games next year. But the development of our players will be the biggest story as we find out who is real and who is fake. Who are the people who will really contribute to the next laker title.

Right now the people here for sure are:
Kobe, Odom, Walton (dont laugh! if you know role players you know Walton is a keeper), Bynum (too young, too agile, too much invested in him), Turiaf (Madsen but he can finish!)...

Kwame, Smush, Mihm ... I hope you figure out if you are real or fake because if you dont we will and you will be shipped to Atlanta!!!

Iffy "and one" for Dirk at the end of reg in that game. 21 ticks with the ball and up by 1 is a big difference from tied. I don't care but I hate when refs get involved if they don't have to with under a minute to go. Dallas was playing for 2, and they got it, play on.

That said, it's a changing of the guard. Terry is probably off the trade block. Doubt Mark C will want to mess with success.
Go Phoenix, make us look good.

I guess I have to give the Suns credit. They are winning with their style. Which leads me to my apology to Phil Jackson in regards to my posted rant. He came up with the style to beat the Suns that the Clippers didn't copy exactly and therefore lost. We were probably a healthy Mihm away from kicking that little girl Nash out of the playoffs.

Ok I change Phil's grade to a B. We shall see if they can execute the Triangle.

I expect the Lakers to keep most of this year's roster intact with the exception of some of the minor pieces as DGeorge, VWafer, DGreen and JJ.
I'm guessing the next year ('07-'08) will be the time of a major overhaul of the roster. I see Kobe, Lamar and Bynum as the only absolute keepers for '07-'08 with a big IF for Walton, Kwame, Mihm and Turief. Our roster for this past season and next reminds me of the mid-late 70's team (Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Cazzie Russel, Jim Price, Lucius Allen and Kareem)- enough to keep the fans interested but not nearly enough to compete for a championship.